1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed towards a flood gate to control the flow of water through a passage and along a waterway wherein a safety device is incorporated for use with the flood gate in order to prevent the inadvertent trapping or crushing of animals or any other object within the passage and beneath the flood gate while the flood gate is passing from its normally open position to its closed position.
2. Description of the Related Art
The use of flood gate structures in controlling flow of water along existing waterways, is quite common and well-known in the prior art. Typically, the use of such flood gate structures is crucial for proper water management in areas where numerous, interconnecting waterways exist. In addition, the use of these flood gate structures may efficiently regulate the level of water in certain areas where, for example, heavy rainfall is prevalent and/or rainstorms frequently occur. By draining such heavily rained upon areas, the flooding of surrounding land areas adjacent to the aforementioned waterways may be prevented or reduced.
For example, in the state of Florida heavy rainfall and storms are prevalent during certain summer months of the year. In order to prevent flooding of the rained upon areas, flood gates of the type generally described above are utilized so that such areas and more specifically the canals or like waterways in such areas may be drained to reduce the level of water contained therein. Flooding is thereby prevented and the collected water in such canals can be safely and efficiently directed to other land areas which may need such additional water. The water may also be drained directly into the ocean for disposal.
One problem associated with the operation of such flood gate structures, especially in South Florida, is the inadvertent crushing, trapping and subsequent drowning of or harm to certain animals which naturally inhabit the canals and like waterways throughout that area of the state. One such animal is the endangered manatee or "sea cow" which is generally considered to be a slow moving, docile animal traveling submerged, beneath the surface of canals and like waterways. Such animals are in fact air-breathing mammals but they have the capacity to stay submerged for long periods of time. It is not uncommon for the manatee to rest or otherwise maintain a position generally adjacent or within a passage in which a flood gate operates. As is common, the flood gate typically will be raised to an open position to allow free flow of water through the passage. Flow water is selectively restricted by lowering or closing the flood gate. This serves to block or significantly restrict water flow through that passage. It should be readily apparent that if an air-breathing mammal, such as the manatee, is located within the passage and below the flood gate as it is being lowered into its closed position, harm can result from the continued travel of the gate. If the manatee is not killed by crushing, it is sometimes trapped below the surface of the water thereby resulting in a drowning of the animal.
Based on the above, it is apparent that there is a recognized need in this area for some type of safety device which can readily detect an object or an animal within a passage and in interruptive relation to the path of travel of a flood gate as it is passing from its open position into its closed position. Preferred safety devices associated with this type of flood gate should be efficient in sensing an animal or object located in the path of travel of the flood gate without actually harming or damaging the animal so positioned. Further, such a preferred safety device or assembly should not interfere with the normal operation with the flood gate and its selective or automatic positioning between an open position and a closed position. The operation of such a preferred safety device should be such as to automatically stop travel of the flood gate into its fully closed position and allow the release or removal of the animal after it has been detected and subsequent to the stopping of the flood gate. Additionally, such a device should not be readily susceptible to malfunction as a result of the submerged nature of the flood gate, or should the surrounding water be murky or otherwise have minimal visibility.